Fight OddsPrime Picks: 2025 PFL Africa 1
To counterprogram part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s pay-per-view
show in Louisiana, the Professional Fighters League on Saturday will
become the first major mixed martial arts organization to plant its
flag in South Africa. It’s not easy sledding for betting
enthusiasts to find great value at
2025 PFL Africa 1, but there are still a few ways to make a
buck at night’s end if wise choices are made.
Likely because the other options on the main card include the headlining champ at -550, the co-main favorite at -3300 and another athlete competing at -550, pickings are understandably slim here. The other option would be to either argue that Corey Anderson at +150 is a live underdog or that favored Denis Goltsov will shrug aside the wrestling and catch “The Ultimate Fighter” winner on the feet. Pushing past those contemplations for now, we turn towards a match similar in nature to some of McKee’s past.
Normally, we avoid outright moneyline competitors with lines above -200. Who wants to reach multiple paragraphs about why some -450 favorite is largely expected to win because of the tools that he or she has demonstrated time and time again? McKee earns the space because of his own background and the fact that few fighters in his combat history have grounded him, to say nothing of keeping him there for long. Akhmed Magomedov is all wrestling, all day, as is customary for a KHK MMA fighter from Dagestan. He commits to it so much that he has never even notched a knockout by accident due to an accumulation of damage. McKee’s submission defense is excellent, and even if Magomedov gets the fight to the ground, it’s another task entirely to remain in control while searching for submissions. If props were available yet for this lineup, we might suggest pairing this line with the over, because Magomedov will not likely go down quickly.
Both heavyweights in the main card opener have put together solid records under the Bellator MMA or PFL banners, losing just once in the last five years to a ranked adversary. On Anderson’s side, he fell short to Vadim Nemkov for the 205-pound belt, while Denis Goltsov’s lone defeat in quite some time is against the towering Renan Ferreira. Both fighters celebrate more wins by knockout than submission, and they sport exactly four knockout losses on their ledgers. This will not be Anderson’s first jaunt to heavyweight, although it has been a while. If he still brings his relentless chain wrestling with him, he has the ability to nullify the Russian for long enough until Goltsov’s shots do not have the same sting on them.
A careless Anderson who just climbs into top control without paying close attention could get triangled from the bottom. This is far from Goltsov’s best weapon, but it’s something he displayed brilliantly in November when he won a million dollars against Oleg Popov. This type of attack is not one that has snared a top-game aficionado like Anderson before, and superior grapplers have tried in the past. There is a bit of deceptive punching power going for Anderson, as many can remember how he put Johnny Walker away years back. At heavyweight, the added weight can increase his impact, but it also puts him on the gunnery range of mathematically the heaviest hitters in the sport. As long as Anderson does not try to bang it out, he’s an underdog who could notch the upset and get the main card started unexpectedly.
A.J. McKee (-225)
Likely because the other options on the main card include the headlining champ at -550, the co-main favorite at -3300 and another athlete competing at -550, pickings are understandably slim here. The other option would be to either argue that Corey Anderson at +150 is a live underdog or that favored Denis Goltsov will shrug aside the wrestling and catch “The Ultimate Fighter” winner on the feet. Pushing past those contemplations for now, we turn towards a match similar in nature to some of McKee’s past.
Normally, we avoid outright moneyline competitors with lines above -200. Who wants to reach multiple paragraphs about why some -450 favorite is largely expected to win because of the tools that he or she has demonstrated time and time again? McKee earns the space because of his own background and the fact that few fighters in his combat history have grounded him, to say nothing of keeping him there for long. Akhmed Magomedov is all wrestling, all day, as is customary for a KHK MMA fighter from Dagestan. He commits to it so much that he has never even notched a knockout by accident due to an accumulation of damage. McKee’s submission defense is excellent, and even if Magomedov gets the fight to the ground, it’s another task entirely to remain in control while searching for submissions. If props were available yet for this lineup, we might suggest pairing this line with the over, because Magomedov will not likely go down quickly.
’DOG WILL HUNT
Corey Anderson (+150)
Both heavyweights in the main card opener have put together solid records under the Bellator MMA or PFL banners, losing just once in the last five years to a ranked adversary. On Anderson’s side, he fell short to Vadim Nemkov for the 205-pound belt, while Denis Goltsov’s lone defeat in quite some time is against the towering Renan Ferreira. Both fighters celebrate more wins by knockout than submission, and they sport exactly four knockout losses on their ledgers. This will not be Anderson’s first jaunt to heavyweight, although it has been a while. If he still brings his relentless chain wrestling with him, he has the ability to nullify the Russian for long enough until Goltsov’s shots do not have the same sting on them.
A careless Anderson who just climbs into top control without paying close attention could get triangled from the bottom. This is far from Goltsov’s best weapon, but it’s something he displayed brilliantly in November when he won a million dollars against Oleg Popov. This type of attack is not one that has snared a top-game aficionado like Anderson before, and superior grapplers have tried in the past. There is a bit of deceptive punching power going for Anderson, as many can remember how he put Johnny Walker away years back. At heavyweight, the added weight can increase his impact, but it also puts him on the gunnery range of mathematically the heaviest hitters in the sport. As long as Anderson does not try to bang it out, he’s an underdog who could notch the upset and get the main card started unexpectedly.
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